Antique Wooden Barrel with Iron Hoops, Hungary, 1930

Details

Description

This antique wooden barrel with iron hoops features a cylindrical body of oak staves held by hand-forged iron hoops and … Read more This antique wooden barrel with iron hoops features a cylindrical body of oak staves held by hand-forged iron hoops and a fixed upper top formed by radial boards. It originates from hungary, from the first half of the twentieth century, where oak was worked in rural cooperage to store wine, water, grain or family preserves.

small barrels from central europe belonged to the functional furniture of the peasant house and family cellars. Built following traditional cooperage — bent staves, press-fitted iron hoops, fixed or hinged tops — they served to store young wine, pickles, fat, grain or water. A greater height than diameter allowed significant internal volume in a small footprint.

the body is built with vertical solid oak staves, hand-shaped and bent following the classical barrel profile with a soft central bulge. Three hand-forged iron hoops — upper, central and lower — hold the staves under pressure without need for nails. The upper top consists of two or three radial boards fixed at the upper rim. The base is similar to the top.

the oak patina keeps a warm natural tone, darkened in areas of continuous contact. The hand-forged iron hoops show stable oxidation with visible traces of original red paint applied on the lower hoop — a typical protective pigment in central european rural cooperage. The surface bears no added varnish or lacquer.

with its 58 cm height and contained diameter, this barrel works as a decorative piece of character in rustic interiors, terraces, restaurants and eclectic projects. It also serves as a low auxiliary table, a decorative stand or an industrial-rural accent piece. It suits wabi-sabi, european country chic, french brocante and contemporary interiors with historical piece presence.

details

dimensions: length 34 cm – width 34 cm – height 58 cm
style: rustic
materials and techniques: solid oak staves; hand-forged iron hoops; top and base of radial boards; traces of red paint on the hoops.
place of origin: hungary
period: first half of the twentieth century
date of manufacture: circa 1930
condition: good. Oak staves with warm patina and hand-forged iron hoops with stable oxidation. Wear consistent with age and use.


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